central intravenous line placement wendy blount, dvm

CentralIntravenous Line

PlacementWendy Blount, DVM

Why Place a Central Line?

• When serial blood values are needed.– Avoids pain, trauma and bruising– Can get blood from a fractious

cat without actually touching it– Makes repeated blood draws

from difficult animals possible– Maintains integrity of the veins

for easy placement of the next IV catheter


• When do we need serial values?– Diabetic ketoacidosis– Renal failure requiring diuresis– Liver failure– hypoproteinemia– “mean as a snake” diabetics who

need a glucose curve– Hemolytic anemia


• When you need central venous access– Drugs that are caustic

• Doxycycline IV– Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)– Partial Parenteral Nutriiton (PPN)– Monitoring Central Venous

Pressure (CVP)• CVP = pressure in the RA• When giving IV fluids to dogs with

right congestive heart failure


• Central Venous Pressure– Normal

• 5-8 cm H20 in dogs

• 2-3 cm H20 in cats

– Increased CVP can result in signs of right heart failure

• >10 cm in dogs• >8 cm in cats

– Trends are probably more important than absolute values

Peel Away Introducer

• video

Guidewire Technique

• video

Around the Needle Catheter

• Standard teflon large bore IV catheter – 14-18 gauge x 3-4 inches– Smaller for kittens, puppies, toy breeds

• Place the pet in dorsal recumbency and prep the jugular furrows

• If you wish, make a stab incision through skin, just medial or lateral to one of the jugular veins


– This helps if dehydrated or hypovolemic

• Pass the stylet with catheter into the jugular vein– Attach syringe to minimize blood spillage


• Advance catheter into the jugular vein


• Attach extension set, so you can disconnect from IV fluids without disturbing the bandage.


• Tape or suture catheter to the skin• Recover from sedation• Bandage

– Antibiotic dressing– Cast padding– Roll gauze– vetrap

Through the Needle Catheter

• Angiocath – 16G or 18G• Intracath – 16G or 18G

• Venocath – 17G or 19G


• Three layers:– Guide wire stylet (inner most)– Polypropylene catheter– Needle stylet (outer most)

• Needle Guard– Clamps around the needle

like a clamshell, to keep

the needle from cutting

the catheter in half


• Occlude jugular vein at thoracic inlet• Insert the needle stylet into the vein

– With the catheter and bag attached (below)

– Or with the catheter and bag detached


• When you are in the vein:– See “flash” up the catheter if it is attached– Blood out the needle stylet if not attached


• Stop occluding the jugular vein– Decreases flow of blood out the hub if bag

not attached

• Thread the catheter by “milking it” through the sterile bag, or threading it into the open needle hub– Thread in at least 3-4 inches in a small dog

or cat– All the way in if dog is big enough– To the right atrium, or least well into the

thoracic inlet


• Place a 4x4 gauze at the venipuncture site an apply gentle pressure

• Withdraw the needle, leaving the catheter in place.

• Remove the protective bag• Seat the catheter hub firmly into the

needle stylet hub– I like to use a drop of tissue glue to secure

them together– If there is movement here, the catheter can

be sheared off the hub


• Apply the needle guard– Secure closed with white tape

• Remove the wire stylet– MAKE SURE the cath & needle hubs are

attached (b attached to c) to each other before the stylet (a) is removed

– If not, you

can remove

the catheter

(b) with the

stylet (a) by

mistake


• attach a 10-12cc syringe filled with saline or LRS– Flush to make sure the catheter is

patent

– Aspirate to make sure catheter is patent

– flush and aspirate about every minute, to make sure catheter is still patent and not kinked, while wrapping

Securing the Catheter

• The external part of the catheter should be placed just behind the ear


• Place a white tape butterfly on the needle guard– Secures the needle guard closed

– Used to suture the guard to the skin

– I don’t use the suture holes in the needle guard

– Vetafil 2-0

or other

Non-

absorbable

suture


• Place a small square of gauze with antibiotic ointment over the venipuncture site– Change this every 2-3 days


• Place ¼-1/2 inch padding between the needle guard and the skin– Cotton, gauze or cast padding - prevents sores– Be careful not to kink the catheter here


free flow kink


• REMEMBER, you are flushing and aspirating every minute or so as you go, with syringe full of saline attached to the catheter hub

• Secure catheter to the neck with full circle white tape– Clip a “bridal path” in the fur if needed


• Attach the catheter hub to the outer layer of roll gauze with “split” white tape


• Outer layer of vetrap– Cut hole over catheter– Can completely cover catheter with another loop of

vetrap when not in use.


• Attach the catheter hub to the outer layer of vetrap with “split” white tape


• These photos show bandaging while anesthetized.

• If sedation is required, I prefer to tape while sedated, then finish the bandage after awake and sitting sternal

• This prevents a bandage that is too tight

Taking Blood Samples

• Disconnect IV fluid line and cap• Flush the catheter with heparinized 3-5 cc saline• Gently withdraw 5-6 cc of blood• Gently withdraw needed sample

– All values except platelets will be accurate

• Gently replace 5-6cc of blood in “dump syringe”• Flush the catheter with 3-5cc saline

CVP Measurement

• Equipment Needed– Bag of fluids– Fluid administration set– IV extension set– Three-way stopcock– Manometer– If you don’t have a manometer, you cant tape IV

tubing to a ruler with cm marks on it

• Flush patient’s IV catheter• Fill the IV extension set with fluid• Connect the IV extension set

– To patient jugular catheter at one end– To 3-way stopcock at the other end (side)– Stopcock off to patient

CVP Measurement

CVP Measurement

• Connect manometer to 3-way stop-cock (top)– This connection is the weakest point– Support the manometer when turning the stopcock

• Connect the IV set and fill the line with fluids– One end to the fluid bag (one side)– The other end to the stopcock (other side)

CVP Measurement

• Turn the stopcock off to manometer, and make sure fluid flows freely into the patient

• Turn stopcock off to patient, and fill manometer with fluid– to at least 15-20 cm– Make sure no air bubbles, which could

cause vapor lock

CVP Measurement

• Patient should be in sternal or lateral recumbency

• Place the -0- on the manometer at the level of the right atrium– Midway between

dorsal and ventral

If in lateral

recumbency

CVP Measurement

• Turn stopcock off to fluids, and allow fluid to fall until it rests at the patient’s CVP– The meniscus will oscillate up and down as the

heart beats and the patient breathes

central intravenous line placement wendy blount, dvm

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